> There is nothing better than seeing a kid lose all track of
> time because they are totally engrossed in their own work. That only
> happens when their work is personally meaningful.
>
>

As is often the case, Linda has said it SO well. It is easy for all of us,
myself included, to be excited by and attached to art experiences that we have
chosen for our students, and we may have compelling reasons for wanting our
students to "do" this stuff...but we need to remember how uncomfortable some of
our students may be doing our stuff (and how that discomfort may manifest
itself in poor behavior or passivity) I had a summer institute experience where
I was pushed hard to work very large; I am an adult and I did try to give the
teacher the benefit of the doubt, having paid a lot of money to attend...but
I was totally physically and emotionally miserable in the doing. What made
it worse, interestingly, was the praise I got for the finished product (which I
detested) This further reinforced the idea that the teacher had a better
take on what my art should be than I did...this was a real learning experience
for me.
kathy douglas